GCSE

Our GCSE Drama course aims to provide opportunities for our students to develop both practical skills (acting, directing, stage management, lighting, sound, make-up, costume) and a critical awareness of the sort of techniques, issues and problems associated with dramatic activities. Drama mixes the technical with the practical, and performance with theory, making it a unique subject in the School, and an exciting and demanding one to study. It must be stressed that the course is not designed with the ‘talented few‘ in mind; we have found that it is often the less confident students who benefit most from the ‘life skills‘ element of the subject, such as movement and voice training. Equally, it is not a soft option for those looking for a ‘non-academic‘ subject. Reflection, analysis and written evaluation are constant and integral elements of the course, as are textual study and performance review. Students are expected to see live productions at least four times a term and may well be extensively involved in School productions, of which a careful log is required.

For coursework, candidates must experience both scripted and unscripted work, choosing from a number of modules, of which performance must be one. Only one technical or design option may be chosen. Each option is assessed through 50% practical work (preparatory work and end-product) and 10% exploration of the relationships and comparisons between work of different times and cultures in a presentation of 500 words. The remaining 40% comes from a 2-hour written paper involving a choice of two questions based on the six set plays or a response to live productions seen during the course.